Democratize operations knowledge: map your workflows!
Ever work on a team or in a department where there’s ONE encyclopedia of internal operations knowledge, and it’s located in ONE person’s head? When that person isn’t available, things fall apart. Always. Action can’t be taken because nobody else knows for certain who or what comes next or where to find a solution. Maybe there’s an authorization required to complete a particular task in a unique workflow, but the encyclopedia is the only one who can grant the authorization - and it has to be on a printed form with a wet signature! Or maybe a team needs a report, but only the encyclopedia knows where to find the report, or even how to request it.
There’s no reason ONE person should be the sole bearer of internal operations knowledge of a team, department, or organization.
Workflow mapping is the act of transferring internal operations knowledge out of employee heads, memorializing it, and saving it in a shared location. Memorializing a workflow using Visio, or similar software, results in a visual big picture of related work categories that are required for an organization to function. In addition to making the knowledge available to everyone, the act of mapping a workflow can uncover duplication of effort, identify interrelated tasks and areas that can benefit from shared resources, and reveal how key data points move through the workflow. And it is a superb opportunity to ask, Is this the best way to achieve this goal?
Workflow maps act as adjuncts to business continuity plans, lay a foundation for continuous improvement, and are an effective crisis-response tool. For example, when the pandemic was dumped on humanity, and organizations were forced to transfer operations from on-site to virtual, important processes disappeared through the cracks of reactionary responses. Abrupt reminders of the forgotten processes resulted in a scramble to rectify the damage done. Memorialized workflows can help an organization assess which categories of work are critical and which categories can be delayed.
Other uses for memorialized workflows include:
providing new management with a visual baseline of internal operations
new talent onboarding
identifying which teams or departments will be impacted by a workflow change
as an aid for a project information-gathering phase
operations insight when considering an AI investment
Memorializing workflows is not a once-and-done action. Responsibility for managing annual reviews and updates of workflows should be assigned to a specific individual or team. The annual review could be accomplished in conjunction with annual business continuity reviews.
Effective Continuous Improvement begins with clarity on workflows, procedures, and training plans.
This blog was written and edited by a human!
© 2024 Lori K. Barbeau